30 Days of CM take two: Day 5
Day 5 - favourite season
Season Three
It is ironic that I chose season three, considering that it was the season of the writers' strike, and for that reason was cut short. Still, I would contend that season three is the strongest in terms of narrative, and amount of good episodes.
Since I'm behind and feeling a little lazy tonight, I'm going to break down the season by episode, focusing on the particularly important or noteworthy ones.
"Doubt"
This episode was an honorable mention on Day 4, and I love it for how stunningly it conveys the events between the team along with a case that's strong and compelling in its own right. Points off for Gideon's narration, which treads into Meredith Grey territory for a bit, but otherwise this ep is masterfully done.
"In Name and Blood"
Finishes the arc begun with "Doubt" and masterfully sets the tone for the season. It's a changing of the guard for the team and for the show as a whole. Gideon's gone; Hotch steps into his shoes and becomes the narrative's new central figure--the mentor/tragic hero.
"Scared to Death," "Children of the Dark," and "Seven Seconds"
Strong standalones that focus on the human side of their cases (not that most eps don't, but these in particular do) while the team adjusts to life without Gideon, and proves themselves more than capable.
"About Face"
Rossi's arrival. Rossi's a bit of strange figure to me, because he's really hard for me to place within the narrative. He seemed initially set up as a Gideon replacement, but the problem is, there was no real room for a character like that anymore--I've compared Gideon's departure to the death of the mentor in the Campbellian hero's journey, and to bring in a new mentor figure would negate the entire point of the previous one's departure. So Rossi seems to be hanging in this strange limbo where he doesn't really fulfill any major purpose within the overall group narrative. He does occasionally chime in with Yoda-ish moments, but it's clearly Hotch who's leading the show here, and Rossi has to adjust to that. It's a pretty interesting reversal, so I'll give this ep props for that. Case isn't quite as memorable as others, but it gets points for the pug.
"Identity" and "Lucky"
Also strong case-centered episodes, heavy on the horror and psychological aspects; "Lucky" in particular was a commentary on how the justice system works in terms of mentally unstable, underage offenders. It also ends with one hell of a jaw-dropper.
"Penelope"
My favorite Garcia episode by far, and an overall extremely strong episode. "Penelope" is not only a fine character episode, but a fine team episode. Garcia saves the day, but she does it the way she does best--being a computer-hacker goddess. It's not contrived, it fits perfectly in with her characterization, and it really allows her to shine without eclipsing the other team members. They all play their own roles, and it's JJ of all people who gets the "glory shot" at the end. And you know, we are introduced to Xander Harris Kevin Lynch, who is all sorts of geeky adorkable love and one of the show's best recurring characters.
"True Night"
My first thought was "LOL Frankie Muniz" but it's a fine concept piece--it conveys the noir graphic-novel feel of its influences (Sin City and The Crow, I would say) but still remains essentially CM at its core. The characters and tone are not bent and shaped to fit the concept; rather the concept is shaped to fit them. It's an extremely effective and enjoyable balance.
"Birthright" through "Limelight"
Both very strong and memorable episodes. "Birthright" and "Limelight" explore in depth what makes a killer; "3rd Life" plays with moral ambiguity again. We also get an interesting look at female agency in "Limelight" in the form of Kathryn Morris. I probably feel more sympathy toward this character than most of fandom, and I find her one of the more interesting Cops of the Week. She avoids being Strauss 2.0 by possessing some depth and layers, and we're given a glimpse of her side of the story (particularly through Rossi's overidentification with her). I also loved the way her plotline was wrapped up--to have her instantly come-to-realize would've been too pat and easy but her brief hesitation before facing the reporters indicates that she has internalized some of Rossi's advice.
"Damaged"
A Rossi-centric ep, but like "Penelope," it's still very much a team episode. It wraps up an important arc for Rossi, gives JJ some badass time, and is yet another unpredictable case. Hotch and Reid's death-row interview is a slightly weaker subplot, but it does show us how much darker Hotch's character has become over the course of the season, and come on man, he strips for us (almost).
"A Higher Power" and "Elephant's Memory"
Too much Reid for my tastes, but the cases were still intriguing and entertaining, especially "Elephant's Memory," because it evokes a theme that a lot of people can sympathize with. Some of it's on the clich´d side (Johnny Cash and an outfit stolen from the Buffy costume department circa 1997? OK.) What I do appreciate about this episode is that Reid was allowed to be human, but he was also called out for it, and learned the difference between using overidentification with an unsub destructively and constructively.
"In Heat"
This is season three's one stinker, and even then it's got nothing on "Somebody's Watching" and pretty much all of season six. Will LaMontagne is and remains one of the show's weakest supporting characters (this has nothing to do with breaking up one of my favorite pairings; not like I really thought JJ/Emily would ever be canon. Will is such a thin character, I'm not even sure he's really a character) and was probably only brought back in order to write in AJ Cook's pregnancy. The episode itself contributes to CM's rather problematic portrayal of LGBT characters (although it isn't outright offensive like "Somebody's Watching"). Yes, the unsub's father's ignorant attitudes on homosexuality were given a proper dressing-down, but it's a problem that all of the show's LGBT characters thus far have been unsubs or victims.
The Crossing
This is a really great episode. It's focused mostly on JJ and Emily as they take on a stalker case, and is so incredibly frustrating in light of this show's issues as a feminist text, because it shows that the writers clearly capable of getting it right. Keri's a smart, strong character who battles the system that keeps people like her stalker on the streets, and JJ demonstrates her strong convictions and sense of integrity by rallying to get the BAU to take Keri's case. Meanwhile, the B plot involves another case that explores moral ambiguity and features a sympathetic unsub (interestingly, also a woman--an emotionally abused housewife).
"Tabula Rasa"
Another fascinating case that, in the vein of "Limelight" and "Birthright" examines what makes a killer. It also contains one of the crowning "Hotchalanche" moments of supreme bamfery.
"Lo-Fi"
An exciting episode that launches a great Morgan arc and has some great Morgan-Hotch stuff in it. Unfortunately, it also gives us Haley 2.0 Kate Joyner, and while I don't necessarily dislike her, I hate so much what her narrative chooses to be. Still the good generally outweighs the bad and we end with a brutal cliffhanger.
So there you have it, season three. I actually hadn't fully realized how superb it is until writing this post. Nearly every episode is strong--really, the only stinker is "In Heat"--and despite one bad episode, the overall strength of the season is commendable. Season three rules.
Honorable mentions: Season one, which contains some very strong episodes and almost got the honors of being my fave, but lost out because there are also a handful of "meh" episodes whereas season three is pretty consistently good throughout; season four, for the same reason as season one.
Season Three
It is ironic that I chose season three, considering that it was the season of the writers' strike, and for that reason was cut short. Still, I would contend that season three is the strongest in terms of narrative, and amount of good episodes.
Since I'm behind and feeling a little lazy tonight, I'm going to break down the season by episode, focusing on the particularly important or noteworthy ones.
"Doubt"
This episode was an honorable mention on Day 4, and I love it for how stunningly it conveys the events between the team along with a case that's strong and compelling in its own right. Points off for Gideon's narration, which treads into Meredith Grey territory for a bit, but otherwise this ep is masterfully done.
"In Name and Blood"
Finishes the arc begun with "Doubt" and masterfully sets the tone for the season. It's a changing of the guard for the team and for the show as a whole. Gideon's gone; Hotch steps into his shoes and becomes the narrative's new central figure--the mentor/tragic hero.
"Scared to Death," "Children of the Dark," and "Seven Seconds"
Strong standalones that focus on the human side of their cases (not that most eps don't, but these in particular do) while the team adjusts to life without Gideon, and proves themselves more than capable.
"About Face"
Rossi's arrival. Rossi's a bit of strange figure to me, because he's really hard for me to place within the narrative. He seemed initially set up as a Gideon replacement, but the problem is, there was no real room for a character like that anymore--I've compared Gideon's departure to the death of the mentor in the Campbellian hero's journey, and to bring in a new mentor figure would negate the entire point of the previous one's departure. So Rossi seems to be hanging in this strange limbo where he doesn't really fulfill any major purpose within the overall group narrative. He does occasionally chime in with Yoda-ish moments, but it's clearly Hotch who's leading the show here, and Rossi has to adjust to that. It's a pretty interesting reversal, so I'll give this ep props for that. Case isn't quite as memorable as others, but it gets points for the pug.
"Identity" and "Lucky"
Also strong case-centered episodes, heavy on the horror and psychological aspects; "Lucky" in particular was a commentary on how the justice system works in terms of mentally unstable, underage offenders. It also ends with one hell of a jaw-dropper.
"Penelope"
My favorite Garcia episode by far, and an overall extremely strong episode. "Penelope" is not only a fine character episode, but a fine team episode. Garcia saves the day, but she does it the way she does best--being a computer-hacker goddess. It's not contrived, it fits perfectly in with her characterization, and it really allows her to shine without eclipsing the other team members. They all play their own roles, and it's JJ of all people who gets the "glory shot" at the end. And you know, we are introduced to Xander Harris Kevin Lynch, who is all sorts of geeky adorkable love and one of the show's best recurring characters.
"True Night"
My first thought was "LOL Frankie Muniz" but it's a fine concept piece--it conveys the noir graphic-novel feel of its influences (Sin City and The Crow, I would say) but still remains essentially CM at its core. The characters and tone are not bent and shaped to fit the concept; rather the concept is shaped to fit them. It's an extremely effective and enjoyable balance.
"Birthright" through "Limelight"
Both very strong and memorable episodes. "Birthright" and "Limelight" explore in depth what makes a killer; "3rd Life" plays with moral ambiguity again. We also get an interesting look at female agency in "Limelight" in the form of Kathryn Morris. I probably feel more sympathy toward this character than most of fandom, and I find her one of the more interesting Cops of the Week. She avoids being Strauss 2.0 by possessing some depth and layers, and we're given a glimpse of her side of the story (particularly through Rossi's overidentification with her). I also loved the way her plotline was wrapped up--to have her instantly come-to-realize would've been too pat and easy but her brief hesitation before facing the reporters indicates that she has internalized some of Rossi's advice.
"Damaged"
A Rossi-centric ep, but like "Penelope," it's still very much a team episode. It wraps up an important arc for Rossi, gives JJ some badass time, and is yet another unpredictable case. Hotch and Reid's death-row interview is a slightly weaker subplot, but it does show us how much darker Hotch's character has become over the course of the season, and come on man, he strips for us (almost).
"A Higher Power" and "Elephant's Memory"
Too much Reid for my tastes, but the cases were still intriguing and entertaining, especially "Elephant's Memory," because it evokes a theme that a lot of people can sympathize with. Some of it's on the clich´d side (Johnny Cash and an outfit stolen from the Buffy costume department circa 1997? OK.) What I do appreciate about this episode is that Reid was allowed to be human, but he was also called out for it, and learned the difference between using overidentification with an unsub destructively and constructively.
"In Heat"
This is season three's one stinker, and even then it's got nothing on "Somebody's Watching" and pretty much all of season six. Will LaMontagne is and remains one of the show's weakest supporting characters (this has nothing to do with breaking up one of my favorite pairings; not like I really thought JJ/Emily would ever be canon. Will is such a thin character, I'm not even sure he's really a character) and was probably only brought back in order to write in AJ Cook's pregnancy. The episode itself contributes to CM's rather problematic portrayal of LGBT characters (although it isn't outright offensive like "Somebody's Watching"). Yes, the unsub's father's ignorant attitudes on homosexuality were given a proper dressing-down, but it's a problem that all of the show's LGBT characters thus far have been unsubs or victims.
The Crossing
This is a really great episode. It's focused mostly on JJ and Emily as they take on a stalker case, and is so incredibly frustrating in light of this show's issues as a feminist text, because it shows that the writers clearly capable of getting it right. Keri's a smart, strong character who battles the system that keeps people like her stalker on the streets, and JJ demonstrates her strong convictions and sense of integrity by rallying to get the BAU to take Keri's case. Meanwhile, the B plot involves another case that explores moral ambiguity and features a sympathetic unsub (interestingly, also a woman--an emotionally abused housewife).
"Tabula Rasa"
Another fascinating case that, in the vein of "Limelight" and "Birthright" examines what makes a killer. It also contains one of the crowning "Hotchalanche" moments of supreme bamfery.
"Lo-Fi"
An exciting episode that launches a great Morgan arc and has some great Morgan-Hotch stuff in it. Unfortunately, it also gives us Haley 2.0 Kate Joyner, and while I don't necessarily dislike her, I hate so much what her narrative chooses to be. Still the good generally outweighs the bad and we end with a brutal cliffhanger.
So there you have it, season three. I actually hadn't fully realized how superb it is until writing this post. Nearly every episode is strong--really, the only stinker is "In Heat"--and despite one bad episode, the overall strength of the season is commendable. Season three rules.
Honorable mentions: Season one, which contains some very strong episodes and almost got the honors of being my fave, but lost out because there are also a handful of "meh" episodes whereas season three is pretty consistently good throughout; season four, for the same reason as season one.